This Is Our Youth
Posted: September 25, 2014 Filed under: Broadway, Play, Revival | Tags: annadshapiro, broadway, georgemichael, hawaii, igbygoesdown, kennethlonergan, kieranculkin, michaelcera, review, thisisouryouth Leave a comment
Long time no chat, Broadway fans! Sorry I disappeared there for a while. I was lucky enough to be in Hawaii a couple of weeks ago (the Big Island – check out the music video!), and I’m only now beginning to resurface and return to the reality of living on this island. So let’s catch up on some theatre, shall we? I saw This Is Our Youth back in August during its second week of previews (broke that damn rule again) and was happy to see that it opened to great reviews while I was busy “sun tanning.” And surprise, surprise – I’m on board with the critics for this one. You may have already heard the buzz: the Kenneth Lonergan revival directed by Anna D. Shapiro (Of Mice and Men, August: Osage County) transferred from Steppenwolf starring Kieran Culkin, Michael Cera, and Tavi Gevinson.
Like the many theatre students before me, This Is Our Youth was required reading in college. I think I bought it from the campus bookstore my sophomore year for Acting I. What I’m sad to admit is I didn’t remember a lick of it. Perhaps if I’d had to do a scene in class, there’d be more pieces of it in my memory. But when I think of that play, all that tends to come to mind is three angsty teens in an apartment…which you could argue is exactly what the play is about. There isn’t much of a plot in the typical sense; it’s definitely more character-driven. I bought tickets for this production well in advance, eager to see one of the first plays of the season, but honestly, I wasn’t that excited for this play in particular. There was no reason for this really. It had plenty going for it, but nonetheless, I went in without any expectations. I’m happy to say that I liked it quite a bit.
The play takes place at Dennis’s apartment in Manhattan. His friend Warren stops by late one night, having just been kicked out of the house by his abusive father, with a bag of stolen money in tow (we come to find out rather quickly that it’s his father’s money). They start to scheme how they can go about taking advantage of the stolen money but also somehow return the full sum the next day (as you might expect, this involves many an illegal activity). The night carries on as these two teens navigate the theft, the piling up dilemmas, and their relationship with one another. It gets even more complicated when Jessica, the outspoken girl Warren has been crushing on for a while, shows up.
I think what surprised me most was Michael Cera’s work. I was very impressed by him. I don’t mean to imply that I expected him to be bad, but Cera, as we all know, has been pigeonholed in film and TV as the awkward never-knows-what-to-say kid, and as a result, we’ve come to expect a certain type of character from him. While Warren is arguably still in that vein, it was nice to see Cera’s additional colors and deeper vulnerability. He is very present in the role. I think this style of theatre and dialogue is a good fit for him – very natural and organic. Cera’s moments alone on stage are great, for example, because nothing actually happens. He’s just there, in a room that he knows he doesn’t belong in, not sure how to be in his own body or the space around him, and Cera is excellent at emanating that feeling without having to work for it. Kieran Culkin is also fantastic. You can see all of Dennis’s layers at work, and his chemistry with Cera is so easy. They’re always on the same page and in tune with each other.
I wish I could say I liked the girl. Gevinson is 18, and from what I’ve been told, a fashion savant blogger turned actor. I think I’ve said this before, but I admit that I’m often more critical of female actresses because I’m looking at the role more closely – not necessarily for myself but because I have friends that I know could knock it out of the park. Her performance felt “put on” to me. The naturalness that was so effortlessly coming out of the boys was not there with her. I wanted the role to be more in her skin. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it was forced, but it wasn’t comfortable. At least for me; the critics loved her.
Regardless, I’m glad I went to see it. Shapiro’s directing is clean and specific. This play so convincingly reminds us of that difficult, awkward time in our late teens when we were figuring out our own opinions, learning who our real friends are, and coming into our own. If we ever truly do.
This Is Our Youth
Written by Kenneth Lonergan, Directed by Anna D. Shapiro
Cort Theatre, Closing January 4, 2015
Photo Credit: Brigitte Lacombe
Pictured: Kieran Culkin and Michael Cera
A Note on Previews, Plus Violet Take Two!
Posted: August 19, 2014 Filed under: Broadway, Miscellaneous, Musical, Revival | Tags: broadway, closing, colindonnell, preview, previews, review, suttonfoster, violet Leave a comment
Matt has a rule that he doesn’t see a show in previews until at least the third week. I, as of late, have been trying to adopt this habit. This is not to say previews aren’t worth seeing or that they’re “bad” performances by any means, but more often than not, the show is simply not ready. It likely still needs more time to polish technical cues, and as they say in the theatre business, the show isn’t “frozen” yet.
For those of you who don’t know how previews work, basically, during those three or four weeks before opening night, the show is still malleable. Cuts are made, lines added, blocking shifted, light cues changed. Many of these shifts are based on how things are going in front of the audiences – the creative team and performers get an idea of which moments aren’t working, what isn’t reading, what can be taken further, etc. So everyone is also rehearsing during the day before the performances each night and constantly adapting to all of these changes. It’s an exhausting and frenzied time. There is so much else going on during a preview period aside from the story being told.
Back in April, Matt and I broke his rule when we got comp tickets to Violet, because come on, we weren’t going to pass up free seats! We saw the seventh preview I believe, and while I liked it (and gave it a fairly good review), it still lacked…something. It felt unfinished, the actors weren’t as connected as they could be, they hadn’t quite found their rhythm – all symptoms of early previews of a musical and of course, things I would never hold against a production.
Something I don’t often get to do is then go back and see a show later on in its run. To be able to return and see the developments and changes is always a rush. In this case, I couldn’t have asked for better circumstances. Four months of eight shows a week (and four Tony nominations) later, I took Brigitte to see the closing performance of Violet last Sunday for her birthday, and I am so happy to have witnessed it. So happy that I’m writing a second mini-review!
I loved this production. Truly. Back in April, I said in my review that I didn’t think the stripped down, minimalist approach fully served the show. Now I couldn’t disagree with myself more. It was incredibly effective and put the emphasis on the characters and the heart of the story. The connections between people were real and specific. I noticed so much more detail this time around – like the way Flick was treated in the opening scenes even when he was not the focus. There were sharp, striking flashes of choreography in “On My Way” and “Luck of the Draw,” moments which may have been there back in previews, but they didn’t read the way they did last week. Props to director Leigh Silverman and everyone else for such tight, precise storytelling.
I also had said there was no depth to the character of Monty and that I didn’t buy the love triangle. Again, now this couldn’t be further from the truth. Colin Donnell brought so much to the role, and you could actually see Monty changing, or at least wanting to change and be better. And I definitely believed this odd triangle of people and the twists and turns of their relationships, thanks to the nuance that developed over the course of the run.
The show was extra emotional since it was the last performance, and everyone was giving it their all. There were extra riffs, milked moments of laughter, and super long applause breaks between numbers. It was quite the ride, and I’m so thrilled I was able to go back on the Violet bus for a second time.
Violet
Music by Jeanine Tesori, Book and Lyrics by Brian Crawley, Directed by Leigh Silverman
American Airlines Theatre, Closed August 10th
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus
Pictured: Sutton Foster and Alexander Gemignani
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Posted: August 7, 2014 Filed under: Becca Doodle - Happy, Broadway, Comedy, Musical | Tags: agentlemansguidetoloveandmurder, bestmusical, broadway, bryncepinkham, comedy, gentlemansguide, jeffersonmays, mysteryofedwindrood, review, slapstick, tonyawards, tonywinner Leave a comment
What a jolly good time! What’s that you say? An entirely new musical? Original writing, choreography, a wonderful cast and director, AND a success as this year’s Tony-winning Best Musical? What a breath of fresh air. A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder was the underdog of the season, despite the fantastic reviews this past fall. It simply fell in the shadow of blockbusters like Aladdin, but as the Act One Finale “The Last One You’d Expect” states, this was the musical to take home the awards this year (Best Musical, Book, Costume Design, and Direction) plus six additional Tony nominations.
Written by Robert L. Freedman (book and lyrics) and Steven Lutvak (music and lyrics – and a welcome newcomer to Broadway), Gentleman’s Guide is based on a 1907 novel by Roy Horniman. Bryce Pinkham plays the titular character, a gentleman named Monty Navarro. Monty tells his story from prison as he takes us back to how everything began – when he finds out that he is a distant relative of the royal family, the D’Ysquiths. In fact, only eight relations stand between him and the current Earl of Highhurst. Meanwhile, Jefferson Mays plays all of said relations, and after being scorned by the family, Monty begins to take them out, one by one, getting closer and closer to the Earl himself. Both men are hilarious and spot-on in their roles(sss). Monty also finds himself torn between two women, Sibella and Phoebe, played by Lisa O’Hare and Lauren Worsham respectively, who are making fantastic Broadway debuts.
To say the least, the show is a romp full of catchy, clever songs. It’s packed with mugging and “wink winks” at the audience, and it works because the jokes are solid, and the actors telling them know what they’re doing. Once your ear adjusts to the English accent, it’s pretty much non-stop laughter with comedy ranging from sly wit to full-out slapstick. To the best of my knowledge, farcical musicals are few and far between. The Mystery of Edwin Drood is the closest thing I can compare it to within the musical genre. Like Drood, this is clean and sharp. The number performed on the Tony Awards, although it seems like it’s in hyper speed taken out of context, certainly does the show justice in my book.
Another reason the show is so successful is you can tell that the cast is having a blast, too. I mean, how can you not with material like that? Murder has never been so much fun.
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Book and Lyrics by Robert L. Freedman, Music and Lyrics by Steven Lutvak, Directed by Darko Tresnjak
Walter Kerr Theatre, Open-Ended
Photo Credit: Sara Krulwich
Pictured: Jefferson Mays and the Cast of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
A Disclaimer on Reviews
Posted: July 29, 2014 Filed under: Miscellaneous | Tags: benbrantley, broadway, charlesisherwood, critics, opinion, review, reviews, subjective 4 Comments
I’ve been thinking a lot about reviews and critics recently. It remains fascinating to me how people can have such different opinions about things, and I’m not just referring to theatre. I’m talking about movies, TV, books, any form of art really. I mean, this isn’t news. Art is subjective. We know this. People are going to see it through their own eyes, approaching it with their own history of experiences, relating to it in their own way. If art weren’t subjective, it would be a whole lot less interesting, not to mention a lot less universal.
I find that in the theatre world, we tend to surround ourselves with those who have a similar aesthetic in the same way that our friendships naturally evolve. You know how you’re friends with people your friends are friends with? But even within that shared aesthetic, you’re still likely to have massive differences of opinions. My pal Matt loves the musical Ghost. I hate it with a fiery passion (sorry Matt, you know how I love to dig at that show). Jenn adores certain actors whom I would rather not see again. Brigitte loves the movie “Runaway Bride.” But despite these differences in opinion, I would still take their advice any day on what shows to see.
Honestly, it’s amazing to me that critics have a job, that the concept even exists. When opinions are so varied, how is it that one individual can make a living saying what he or she thinks? This isn’t a Yelp situation where a musical receives a certain star rating because 600 people went to see it and then commented about their favorite parts. So much of a production’s sales can depend on what the New York Times prints the night of its opening. Is the fate of a show in the hands of Ben Brantley and Charles Isherwood alone?
There are times I’m reading a Brantley review and it’s like he took the words right out of my mouth, but other times when I think, “Did we even see the same show?” I thought Aladdin was a major miss – it got great reviews. Matt and I did not care for last season’s Cinderella – same thing. ROCKY we loved. In fact, when it was in previews, I didn’t hear a negative thing about it in the general Broadway buzz. But then the reviews came out negative to mixed. I admit – I began to worry people would start to not trust my reviews, but it’s not really about trust, is it? It comes down to opinion and opinion alone. Not everyone will see eye to eye with me. The best I can do is share what I see and what I know, and from there it’s up to you.
Of Mice and Men
Posted: July 18, 2014 Filed under: Broadway, Drama, Play, Revival | Tags: alexmorf, broadway, chrisodowd, george, jamesfranco, johnsteinbeck, lennie, ofmiceandmen, review 2 Comments
Of Mice and Men is a visually beautiful production. From the opening moments of the sun shining through what appears to be an iron wall split by the horizon, the set is rustic and full of striking metals. Here’s the thing though: the play itself didn’t leave me feeling like I’d been punched in the gut. I talk about this expectation a lot actually, and I suppose it’s odd to say I’m disappointed when I don’t get to feel like that. But that’s what theatre is for sometimes – to feel like your stomach has been turned upside down or your mind has been messed with or your heartstrings tugged. It’s one thing to be emotionally manipulated à la Spielberg’s “ET” with camera close-ups and music swelling at just the right moment, but another thing to be emotionally torn apart by the story alone. It’s why John Steinbeck’s novel is so iconic – the tragedy of Lennie’s and George’s story stays with us, leaving us feeling anywhere from distraught and angry to hollow and sympathetic. This production landed more in neutral territory.
I am going to condense the spoilers as much as I can due to the fact that some people have yet to see the play or read the book or see the movie (seriously though, I would get on that). My roomie had no idea what was going to happen, which made for a fun intermission of predictions. Needless to say, sh*t goes down, and you can tell as early as the looming scenes of Act 1 that things will not be ending super well for these characters.
Chris O’Dowd gives a beautiful, innocent, nuanced performance as Lennie. He’s endearing, touching, and an incredibly sympathetic character. I did not connect with James Franco’s George as much. He has some nice moments, but I think his work may be too subtle for the theatre. I did see him trying, but he lacked life on stage. He’s playing for the camera, and in a big house, his acting gets lost. I imagine audience members in the first few rows have an entirely different experience of his work. I did enjoy the friendship that was developed between Lennie and George, when Franco would let himself go. I could see the humor and love there, particularly in a scene late in Act 1 when they sit at the card table talking about their fantasy of owning their own land someday (pictured above). Franco comes alive and plays beyond a few inches from his face, and that’s when real connection occurs and the sparks start to fly. Leighton Meester was a wash for me. Granted, Curley’s wife is a very hard role, but I don’t know what she was working toward. I didn’t know what she, as the character, wanted. It felt like the same tactic for every moment.
The production (sneak peek here) features a strong ensemble. I particularly enjoyed Jim Parrack as Slim and Jim Norton as Candy. And allow me to name-drop for a moment, because my friend Alex Morf is Curley, and he’s great! It’s his Broadway debut, and he looks so damn good up there playing such an ass.
[SPOILERS IN NEXT PARAGRAPH]
A scene that particularly struck me was Curley’s wife’s death. The moment you see Lennie surrounded by all that hay in the barn, you know it’s time for the iconic turn of events. He sits there with the poor dead puppy in his enormous hands, scolding him for dying. When Curley’s wife joins him on the ground, even people who aren’t familiar with the story know that this can’t end well. I loved the direction of this scene – so simple and understated. These two estranged characters connect without actually connecting at all. They’re both sharing their fears and dreams without actually hearing the other person’s words. When Lennie starts to feel her soft hair, everyone in the house tenses. Her struggle and accidental murder are hard to watch and almost too believable. I wish the last moments of the play had landed similarly with me. I didn’t see George make his final decision to kill Lennie in order to spare him whatever the manhunt would bring. I didn’t see his struggle with the choice, only Lennie’s helplessness. And the last light cue was so blatant that it took me out of it, followed by an abrupt blackout. I wanted another moment with George to see how his actions will affect him and to wonder what’s to come.
Of Mice and Men
Written by John Steinbeck, Directed by Anna D. Shapiro
Longacre Theatre, Closing July 27th
Photo Credit: Sara Krulwich
Pictured: James Franco and Chris O’Dowd
Becca on Broadway 